The invention relates to a smart retractable holster harness system for electronic devices such as a smartphones and cameras.
The use of mobile electronic devices such as hand-held cameras and cellular telephones, e.g., smartphones, has increased dramatically over the last several years.
These mobile electronic devices are typically held in a user's hand(s) during use. For example, a user will typically hold a mobile phone in his or her left or right hand to carry out a conversation, where the phone is held to one or the other ears. While many people use one or the other hand to utilize a cellular phone camera, others may hold a smartphone to focus and capture an image using only one hand. Likewise, users are known to use one or both hands for texting on mobile cellular phones. Please note that the terms “cellular phone,” “cell phone,” “mobile phone,” “smart phone,” “phone,” “mobile electronic device,” “device,” “pad,” “iPad,” are used interchangeably herein in association with telephonic mobile electronic devices.
Many mobile phone users try to perform physical tasks while concurrently using their cell phones or other hand-held electronic devices. This can be a challenging experience, whether the task requires only one hand or both. One who is performing a task while concurrently speaking has a tendency to focus on the task and the conversation, “forgetting” that the physical electronic hand-held device is part of the action, somewhat akin to forgetting about the glass when viewing an outside scene through a closed window from the inside. And as anyone who has tried to hold a cell phone to their ear using their shoulder, to have a conversation while their hands remain free to perform tasks knows that such coordination, over time, is easier said than done. Many times, the cell phone, because of its size, slips from its position between shoulder and ear. Not only is this disruptive to the conversation taking place, but can also damage the phone, e.g., falling into the sink, a puddle, a plate of pasta, etc., without limitation.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,513 discloses a holder system for mobile device that comprises a generally rectangular holder base and a holder configured to secure the mobile device therein. The holder is removably attached to the holder base. A retractor mechanism is attached to the holder base. The holder base includes a pair of attached cord ports, each for receiving a line of a retractable cord that is engaged to the retractor mechanism. The figures show the device connected to the holder by the cords at two points (at the ports) in the upper corners of the substantially rectangular device, which allows the device to swing away from the body with gravity and user movements.
US Pub. No. 2012/0248160, for example, discloses a hands-free holder for a portable electronic device comprising a pouch with a first opaque side and a substantially translucent second side, an open top and attached strap. While the pouch does hold an electronic device, it connects to the body with a strap affixed to respective upper corners of the substantially rectangular pouch. The strap is positioned on the body at the user's neck. Hence, the pouch and its contents swing free with gravity and/or user movement, which can interfere with a user's actions, like the invention found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,513.